With the increased emphasis in attempting to purify atmospheric air various techniques have been suggested for controlling the pollutants which are emitted from an internal combustion engine. One of the means suggested is the use of a catalytic converter which employs various catalysts to purify the exhaust fumes of the internal combustion engine. The catalyst in the purifier is generally pellet size, normally substantial spherical, having a diameter of about 0.02 to about 0.25 inches. The pellets catalyze the conversion of the impurities in the exhaust to non-toxic gases. Generally the catalysts are precious metal or noble metal catalyst such as platinum, palladium and the like, although base metals may also be employed. The difficulty with such catalytic converters is the need for periodically replacing the catalyst which have served their purpose for a period of time or become contaminated due to the presence of lead in gasoline.
Various techniques have been suggested for maintenance of the catalytic exhaust purifier such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 3,184,291 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,565. The difficulty with the prior art is that a satisfactory means for practically efficiently and consistently removing the pellets from the catalytic converter has not been found.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a catalytic converter emptying device of improved efficiency and improved consistency in operation.